Drax Announces Siemens Turbine Upgrades At UK Plant

In a bid to improve the efficiency of its biomass generating units Drax has signed a £40 million ($44.9 million) contract with Siemens for turbine upgrades. Drax operates the UK’s biggest power station, near Selby in Yorkshire. As part of a massive decarbonization project, Drax is converting the facility and its associated supply chain infrastructure […]

In a bid to improve the efficiency of its biomass generating units Drax has signed a £40 million ($44.9 million) contract with Siemens for turbine upgrades.

Drax operates the UK’s biggest power station, near Selby in Yorkshire. As part of a massive decarbonization project, Drax is converting the facility and its associated supply chain infrastructure from coal to sustainable biomass.

Of the six coal fueled units at the site, three have been converted to run on biomass with the conversion of the fourth unit currently in progress.

Siemens will carry out the upgrades of turbines in three of the biomass units over the next three years. The work is scheduled to start in 2019. According to a statement, the upgrades ‘will deliver efficiencies, as well as maintenance savings, which will cut the cost of biomass electricity production at the plant in North Yorkshire.’

“We firmly believe that biomass has a long-term role to play in the UK’s energy infrastructure. We’re looking at a number of ways to bring down the costs of our biomass generation – and these turbine upgrades are an important part of that work,” said Andy Koss, CEO of Drax Power.

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